MRS. BUSH: Good morning. Welcome to the White House. Welcome to
the women leaders from Iraq and Afghanistan, to the members of the
Cabinet who are here, to the members of Congress, and to ambassadors
from several nations. Thank you all for coming today.

Every year, citizens around the world commemorate International
Women's Day. I've been privileged to meet thousands of women from many
nations, and I believe that women everywhere share the same dreams -- to
be educated, to live in peace, to enjoy good health, to be prosperous,
and to be heard.

There are encouraging signs for progress for women in many parts of
the world, and I'm proud to be married to a man whose policies promote
this success. But don't just take my word for it. Look at his
administration, where strong and talented women serve at the very top
levels of government.

Consider his policies in Africa. Girls go to schools there, thanks
to scholarships from the African Education Initiative. Women receive
antiretroviral drugs and deliver babies free of HIV because of the
President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief. In Afghanistan, young girls
go to school and women serve in government because America helped
liberate the Afghan people. Last week in Kabul, Dr. Karzai, the wife of
President Karzai, told me that six million Afghan children are now in
school, and nearly half of that number are girls.

As we celebrate International Women's Day and Women's History
Month, we honor men and women who work together to advance justice,
dignity, and opportunity for women. And no one is more committed to
those ideals than my husband, our President, George W. Bush.
(Applause.)

THE PRESIDENT: Thank you all. Thank you, Laura. Welcome to the
White House. We like to call this the people's house. I want to remind
people from around the world that we're only temporary occupants here --
but we're trying to make the most of our time here.

I want to welcome you all as we celebrate Women's History Month and
International Women's Day. Thanks for coming. We recognize the many
contributions women have made to our country. We also honor those who
have helped bring equality and freedom to women around the world.

A lot of strong women have influenced my life. (Laughter.)
Beginning with my mother. (Laughter.) She told me to say that, by the
way. (Laughter and applause.) I am blessed to have a strong wife.
(Applause.) And we are raising two young women to become independent,
capable risk-takers -- (laughter) -- so that they can realize their
dreams.

I have been blessed to have strong women in my government. My
administration is better off to have really capable women who feel
comfortable marching in the Oval Office and giving the President their
frank advice. (Laughter and applause.)

I want to thank Secretary of Labor Elaine Chao, who is with us;
Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings -- she's been giving me frank
advice ever since I was the governor of Texas. (Laughter.) I want to
thank Karen Hughes -- Ambassador Karen Hughes, the Under Secretary for
Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs. She's been really giving me a lot
of advice. (Laughter.) Paula Dobriansky, the Under Secretary for
Democracy and Global Affairs; Harriet Miers, my attorney. By the way,
for those of you who aren't familiar with America, it's always good to
have a good attorney. (Laughter.) Harriet Miers is my attorney. She
gives me legal advice.

Fran Townsend is in charge of our -- part of the National Security
Council in charge of homeland security. Protecting our homeland is a
vital part of America, and I rely upon a very capable, strong woman to
give me good advice.

I want to thank my friend, Pat Brister, who is the U.S.
Representative to the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women,
for joining us. Pat is -- there she is -- from Louisiana, where Laura
and I will be tomorrow, by the way.

I want to thank Congresswoman Judy Biggert from the state of
Illinois. She's with us. For those of you who are unfamiliar with our
Congress, we have a lot of very capable women who are running for office
and have become elected and making a big difference in the halls of
Congress. I appreciate the members of the Diplomatic Corps who have
joined us. Thank you all for coming. It's good to see so many
ambassadors and ambassadresses here today. (Laughter.)

I want to thank the members of the United States Afghan Women's
Council who are here. You are making a significant difference in the
lives of people who are beginning to feel the freshness of the light of
democracy. And as Laura mentioned, we were in Afghanistan with
President Karzai. And there's nothing better than being a country
that's beginning to realize the benefits of freedom. Particularly women
who have been completely suppressed under the Taliban are now beginning
to see the beautiful -- breathe that beautiful air of a free society.
And so I want to thank the members of the United States Afghan Women's
Council for being so diligent and caring and staying with this important
issue -- that issue being the freedom of women in Afghanistan.

I want to thank the members of the International Republican
Institute and the National Endowment for Democracy. Thank you for
hosting our international delegates. Thank you for helping them in
their training exercises and sharing expertise and compassion. I want
to thank the delegations from Afghanistan and Iraq and around the world
for joining us today. You're welcome in the United States of America --
I hope you feel that way. (Applause.)

The struggle for women's right is a story of strong women willing
to take the lead. That's particularly true in the United States of
America, where women like Susan B. Anthony and Alice Stone Blackwell and
Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Rosa Parks changed the course of our nation's
history. Our history was altered because strong women stood up and led.
These women broke down barriers to equality. We weren't always an equal
society in America, and it required strong leadership to help make
America a more equal place. And we're a better place because of the
leadership of women throughout our history.

Women today are shaping the future of America as scientists and
entrepreneurs and teachers and astronauts. They serve our nation with
honor and distinction in our Armed Forces. The distinguished leadership
of women like Secretary of State Condi Rice -- where is she? She had an
excused absence -- (laughter) -- and Justice Sandra Day O'Connor has
helped open doors for women for future generations.

Across the world, the increasing participation of women in civic
and political life has strengthened democracies. A democracy is strong
when women participate in the society. The nation of Liberia recently
elected its first woman President, and Laura and Secretary Rice were
there to witness her swearing-in. I look forward to welcoming her to
America, by the way.

Women lead governments in Germany, in Chile, and the Philippines.
In Rwanda, nearly half of the members of parliament are women. And
women are now holding more parliamentary seats in nations like Morocco
and Jordan and Tunisia.

In the last four years, we have also seen women make great strides
in Afghanistan and Iraq -- countries where just a few years ago women
were denied basic rights and were brutalized by tyrants. Today in
Afghanistan, girls are attending school. That speaks well for
Afghanistan's future. Women hold about 20 percent of the seats in the
National Assembly. Nobody could have dreamed that was possible five
years ago. In last fall's elections, about 40 percent of the voters
were women. In Iraq, women are voting in large numbers, and when the
new Iraqi parliament takes office, women will hold about one-quarter of
the seats.

The United States is working to increase opportunities for women in
these two emerging democracies. Through the Iraqi Women's Democracy
Initiative, we're providing funds for Iraqi women to receive training in
political leadership and learn about the legislative process, the
judicial system, and how to defend and promote human rights.

In Afghanistan, we're helping women find ways to join the political
process at the local level, and to acquire the skills they need for
advocacy and communication. We're working with the private sector in
America to help Afghan women travel abroad to learn more about the
political process and to be able to exchange ideas with fellow women,
just like which is taking place here in America today.

Our work to help build vibrant and functioning democracies in
Afghanistan and Iraq is part of a larger effort to encourage progress
across the broader Middle East. We refuse to accept the status quo in
the United States of America, particularly when we find women repressed.
As women become a part of the democratic process, they help spread
freedom and justice and, most importantly of all, hope for a future.

One important program is the Women's Democracy Network, which is
holding its inaugural meeting this week in Washington. This conference
provides an opportunity for women leaders around the world to connect
with each other and serve as mentors for women in developing democracies
so they can help shape the future of their nations.

As we work to advance the equality of women in the world's newest
democracies, we must remember that many women in other countries around
the world are still struggling for basic rights in places like Iran and
North Korea and Burma. America will help women stand up for their
freedom, no matter where they live. (Applause.)

Recently I welcomed two women from Belarus who were concerned about
the repressive nature of their government. We stand with the women in
Belarus who advocate human rights in a run-up to this month's election.
America will continue to support courageous reformers around the world
-- women like Burmese dissident Aung San Suu Kyi, who has spent years
under house arrest for her efforts to bring democracy to her nation.

We will continue to fight the threats to women across the world.
We'll continue working with nations around the world to end the sexual
exploitation and the trafficking of women and young girls. It breaks
our hearts, our collective hearts, to realize many young girls are sold
into sex slavery and we will use our prestige to stop that evil process.
(Applause.)

We will continue working to fight the transmission of HIV/AIDS.
America is proud to lead the world in the struggle to defeat this
pandemic. We understand that by defeating the pandemic of HIV/AIDS we
will help children and women who have been disproportionately affected
by this horrible pandemic.

We live in extraordinary times. These are exciting times. They
are times that require a firm conviction in our beliefs that all people
are created equal. We've seen the fall of brutal tyrants and the rise
of democracy. We're also seeing women take their rightful place in
societies that were once closed and oppressive. And the United States
welcomes the arrival of women into these oppressive societies. There's
no doubt in my mind, empowering women in new democracies will make those
democracies better countries and help lay the foundation of peace for
generations to come. (Applause.)

So Laura and I welcome you to the White House. We're really glad
you're here. We're so glad you're here, we're about to throw a
reception on your behalf. (Laughter.) And we wish you to enjoy it.